Trap



1. v. MCCAUGHAN.

TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I5. 1919- `1,329,128, i Patented Jan.27,1920.

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APPLICATION FILED MAY l5, l9l9. 1,329,128. A Patented Jan. 27, 1920 INVENTOI? cf VMC/aufm, y

A TT 03H5 YS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOANNA VALLAT McCAUGI-IAN, 0F LONG BEACH, MISSISSIPPI.

TRAP.

Application filed May l5, 1919.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOANNA V. Mo- CAUGHAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Long Beach, in the county of Harrison and State of Mississippi, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Traps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in tra-ps, and more particularly of the type used by fishermen for trapping crabs, Shrimps, lobsters, and other shell fish.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide an improved trap of this class, of simple and convenient arrangement 4and of such natur@ that the fish will be readily attracted and easily coniined.

A further object of the invention is to provide a trap of the nature set forth which will be exceedingly simple, durable, efficient of operation and inexpensive of manufacture.

With these and other objects in view which will become. apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully de-' scribed and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures, of which- Figure 1 represents a view in elevation of a trap constructed according to my invention;

Fig. 2 represents a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal sectional view taken through the trap; and

Fig. 4 represents a transverse section on the plane, indicated bythe line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

The invention involves the use of a top entrance having inclined sides, such entrance allowing of the easy passage of the shell fish inte the trap but effectually preventing their escape. It also contemplates the employment of a novel means for retaining the bait and of readily emptying thel trap.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the trap includes two side walls 1, which are substantially triangular in shape, being flattened or cut off at their tcp edges, as at 2. The side walls are connected by a center transom or brace 3, and two end transoms or braces indicated at 4, while netting of suitable texture, indicated at 5, is

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 27, 1920.

Serial No. 297,217.

v' of the top, and comprises a rectangular frame having side rails 8 and Vend rails 9 and 10, such frame fitting between the side walls of the trap and being pivoted at 11 thereto. This door may be raised or lowered, as readily understood, upon the points 11 as a pivot. A suitable clasp or hinge indicated at 12 serves as means for normally holding the door in closed position.

Mounted upon the center transom 3 is a cage for covering the bait used in the trap, such cage including end plates or blocks 13 connected by a wire screen 14, which forms a top and sides for the cage. The cage is. cpen on its lower side and is hinged as at 15 at one end to the transom 3. A suitable clasp or other fastening device 16 serves as means whereby the cage may be ncrinally held down in closed position over the bait. This bait is placed on the transcm 3 within the cage.

The entrance to the trap is at the top and is formed by means of two inclined planes 17 of a width substantially equal to the width of the opening and which are inclined toward each other at the bottom, the bottom of the entrance opening being about one-third the width of the top of the entrance opening. The surfaces of these planes are smooth, the purpose being` to prevent the shell fish from crawling up the surfaces in trying to make an eXit from the top. The plane extends transversely of the top as clearly indicated in Fig. 2, so that the entrance opening is suiiiciently great in length to allow ready entrance of a number of shell fish to the trap at the same time. The bait, it will be noted, is placed under the entrance openino'. Attracted by the bait, the shell fish will, in trying' to get to it, crawl up the screens forming the top of the trap until they come to the entrance opening; this opening` will apparently allow them free access to the bait and they will move down to the opening in the tcp and thus, become confined. The only way that they can escape is by moving upwardly, and this they will not do. The inclination or slope of the plate 17 will prevent their crawling up these surfaces should they attempt to do so, and any attempt to escape from the trap ,in this method, will, in a short time after the trap has been in use, be further hindered by the fact that these surfaces soon become coated with a green slime which will make the surfaces exceedingly slippery and which will prevent the shell fish from obtaining any hold on them.`

On the outside, attached one to each of the sides of the trap, are a pair of weights indicated at 18. These weights are for the purpose of sinking the trap and are fastened to the sides by means of wires 19 and brackets 20.

When the trap is to be used the door 8l may be raised and the cage lifted up and the bait placed upon the center transom, the cage will then be loweredl and the door will likewise be lowered and fastened in place, and the trap lowered in the water. TWhen it is to be emptied it may be lifted, the water 4draining out through the wire screen, and the door 8 may be then raised and the shell fish dumped out.

The solid side chambers of the trap will cut olf the sight of the bait from any shell ish which are approaching the trap from the sides. However, when these fish have passed beyond the side members the bait will then become exposed to view, and the fish in attempting to reach it will naturally move up the sloping screen to the end 9, through which, in attempting to get to the bait, they will move into the trap.

Although l have described the preferred embodiment of my invention, l may desire to make such changes as do not depart from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claim.

I claim A trap of the character described comprising a pair of solid side walls of trapezoidal shape arranged in spaced parallel relation with the shorter of the parallel edges at the top, a bottom formed as a frame secured to the longer of the parallel edges of the side walls and including a central solid strip, said bottom also including wire screen stretched upon said frame, a wire screen wall connecting said side walls and secured to one of the inclined edges of each thereof, a wire screen covered frame pivoted between said side walls. at the other inclined edges thereof, a bait holder secured upon the solid transverse strip of the bottom, and a pair of downwardly converging solid plates secured between said side walls at the upper edges thereof and defining an entrance opening.

J OANNA VALLA'P MCAUGHAN.

l/Vitnesses C. H. CASTANERA, ARTHUR A. GAUSE. 

